Softgoods Materials Product Operations Lead

10+ years of experience in NPI Operations Management, Supply Chain, or Product/Program Management.
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or Industrial Engineering.
Demonstrated leadership experience. Leading and developing a team.
Ability to travel up to 20%.

Developing and managing the SoftGoods materials supply chain to enable the successful mass production of all SoftGoods products at Apple.
Leading multiple teams including: GSM, Technical Operations, Color Quality, and SME.
Managing the commercial relationship with SoftGoods Materials manufacturing partners, encompassing cost negotiations and ensuring continuity of supply.
Implementing risk management strategies and driving operational and cost efficiencies through process or design modifications.
Collaborating with Global Supply Managers to define and establish supply chain requirements utilizing selected equipment and manufacturing suppliers.
Providing leadership at manufacturing sites during the development and product production ramp, and driving engineering issues to resolution.
Establishing a world-class color supply chain to support the color roadmap established by the Color Industrial Design team.

Results-driven and detail-oriented leadership experience.
Strong collaboration and negotiation skills with internal and external partners.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
Familiarity with supplier financial research, spend analysis, and ad-hoc financial analysis for strategic procurement deals.
Supplier negotiations for cost, capacity, and sourcing contracts.
Technical expertise combined with in-factory OEM experience is a plus.
Experience with SoftGoods materials (woven, knits, yarns) is a plus.
International experience, particularly in Asia, is a plus.
Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) is preferred.